The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade announced a tender for research and development work to increase the service life and expand the operating conditions of the VK-650V turboshaft engine. The initial contract price is 1.9627 billion rubles, applications are accepted until October 19, 2026, and the work is planned to be completed in November 2027.
The tender documentation refers to the creation of a domestic turboshaft gas turbine engine with a power of 500–600 hp for Ansat and Ka-226T helicopters. The results of the R&D should be used in preparing for serial production and organizing after-sales service for the VK-650V.
Currently, the engine has limitations on service life and operating modes. In the type certificate, which ODK-Klimov received in December 2024, the initial service life of the VK-650V is 74 hours, and continuous operation at 590 hp is limited to 20 minutes. These parameters have already been a subject of discussion when preparing the engine for operation on new Russian helicopters.
For comparison, the factory overhaul life of foreign Safran and Pratt & Whitney engines installed on corresponding versions of light helicopters is at least 3000 hours.
Now the Ministry of Industry and Trade plans to finance work to remove operational restrictions and certify Ansat-M and Ka-226T with the VK-650V. According to the tender documentation, the results of the R&D should be used in organizing serial production and after-sales service of the engine, and the entire complex of work is planned to be completed in 2027.
The development of the VK-650V began in 2019. The engine was created to replace the French Safran Arrius 1A on the Ka-226T, and later it was chosen for import substitution of the Canadian Pratt & Whitney PW207K on the Ansat-M. By the end of 2022, three prototypes were manufactured, and their endurance and certification tests began.
Currently, the prototype engines are undergoing ground and flight tests as part of the Ansat-M and Ka-226T. Therefore, the new work is not dedicated to creating the VK-650V from scratch, but to further refining the engine and expanding its certified capabilities.
